


Brevity is the SOL of Wit.

by LarkandLioness



Category: Shades of London Series - Maureen Johnson
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One Word Prompts, POV First Person, POV Third Person Omniscient
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-19 15:52:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17604332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarkandLioness/pseuds/LarkandLioness
Summary: You don't need a perfect moment to make a moment perfect. People make their own perfect memories. Here are brief glimpses into the awkward, tender, sometimes sad thoughts and actions in the relationship between Stephen and Rory so far across the series.





	1. Chapter 1

1\. Evidence

It's so obvious how Stephen and Rory felt about each other -- It was potent as both friendly blackmail, and a dangerous weapon for their enemies...

2\. I'm Here

But he couldn't give that sad, distant figure he loved any support -- the whole thing was complicated, but he certainly couldn't comfort her in any way...but deep inside, Rory had to know she wasn't alone.. right?

3\. Funeral

It was far too sunny, and hardly anyone came -- but Stephen would give anything if he was in the casket instead of her.

4\. Puppy Love

Rory and Jerome's relationship had been like a flower that bloomed best in the Ripper's shadow, and quickly faided once the sun came out.

5\. Gloves

Rory's hands shook with cold; Stephen handed her his gloves without a second thought.

6\. Blackboard (School AU) 

Decades of happy marriage would stem from the teacher's stern line "You two can stay behind and clean up the classroom," He narrowed his eyes at his shorter student, and the instigator, and continued "Miss Deveaux will whipe off the blackboard."

7\. Muse  
"Oh, Muse -- Sing about the most beautiful, lively, smartest girl I'll ever know; tell me about her ghosts, and how--and how--" Stephen peeked from behind his book, saw Rory look at him curiously, and wanted to die. 

8\. Magic

They kissed once more, sharply this time, with an edge of desperation to it; This newfound magic between them they both knew, but feared to name, would go up right now against dark magic in a fight for London, and possibly the world, and they didn't know which would win. 

9\. Clean

Three things were certain: he'd have to air all his dirty laundry soon, she'd see him as the man he really was, and _they'll _kill him for it.__

____

__10\. Secret_ _

Rory's brown eyes were locked on his own in a surprisingly solemn and patient expression, and he felt a ripple of trust between them as she sat by his side; it gave him the courage to finally open his mouth.

__11\. Superstition_ _

A question rose to the front of Stephen's mind as he swept up the shards of glass, but thought it had rather go unasked; for how long? He didn't know.

__12\. Fantasy_ _

"I thought Hawthorne would be like Hogwarts, and I was right, but I forgot all about the parts where Harry almost died there -- weird, since we actually had a ghost in the library."

__13\. Test_ _

"Pen and paper, Good vs. Evil... I usually pick whatever seems like it'll work, and _really _hope I get a do-over, or at least don't die if I'm wrong!"__

______ _ _

____14\. Tease_ _ _ _

"You look so cute with your forehead all scrunched up!" Rory said as she smoothed out the furrows that seemed to be embedded in her boyfriend's head after another day of dead ends.

____15\. Storm_ _ _ _

Everyone in Bénouville had a secret ritual to keep hurricanes away from here: they pray _"Not us, don't let it touch us!" _As the sirens howled into an apoticalyptic night over London, Rory frantically, fruitlessly repeated the same thing now.__

________ _ _ _ _

______16\. Strawberries_ _ _ _ _ _

Stephen leaned down and inhaled the sweet scent of Rory's shampoo as he wrapped her in his arms.

______17\. Weapon_ _ _ _ _ _

He took anything in reach to stop _them _from taking Rory and turning her into their personal weapon -- for nothing.__

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________18\. Bleach_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"All those grays and pinks look good on you -- they really bring out your eyes."

________19\. Lost_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

There were no landmarks and no street signs, and Stephen wasn't sure how they'd both ended up here in this...afterlife in the first place, but since they'd gotten in there had to be a way out -- together.

________20\. Cry_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Stephen had a secret: he never cried in his life -- Not when his sister died, not after _he _almost died, not when he couldn't catch the Ripper, or even after he _did _die, because what good would it do?____

_____ _

________21\. Aloof_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

The first time Rory saw a hint of a warmer side from Stephen to her was when he first tried to make a joke.

_____ _

________22\. Blood_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

"Remember how _last _time you died and thought it was just a trickle of blood? Now get in the car!"__

_____ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

__________23\. Tower Block_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

Cheap or expensive, richly or sparsely furnished, what _really _mattered was that the Shades had a place to work together in -- _until _Stephen and Rory had to run out of there naked.____

_____ _

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_____________24\. Taxi_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

The cabbie was baffled when his newest fare -- a short girl with dark hair and eyes -- took one look in the back of his dark, but clean taxi, yelled _"I'll take the next one!" And ran._

_____ _

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_______________25\. Search_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _

Rory would either look in every cemetery, and retrace each of Stephen's dead beats until she either found his ghost or died too!

_____ _

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____ _


	2. Chapter Two.

Lively:  
She has a lively look, lively eyes, but they burn with cabin fever.

Remorseful:  
Stephen wants to explain, since he knows he can't be forgiven. "I'm sorry Rory, I never meant to...to..." his apologies fade to a mumble as he's swallowed again by guilt. 

Dismiss:  
"It's alright." Stephen worked a hand free of Rory's bags, and waved off her protests as he took long strides away from her.

Heavy:  
The combined weight of his past, and the terrible secrets he carried, pulled Stephen down, but Rory never failed to offer him a hand up.

Forward:  
Stephen tensed up. "Watch your step!" He cautioned Rory, his arm subtly poised to help her if she fell.

Prowl  
Rory's hopeless on the prowl, thanks to too many action flicks but she's a very good distraction. 

Cut:  
Stephen wrapped his heart in barbed wire for thousands of reasons, but could sum it up in one: it was part of his job; on days the barbs really dug in, he gritted his teeth. "It's better to be cut than go numb." He reminded himself. 

Compromise:  
"Alright, we can watch your movie first, if..." she whispers in his ear, and his face goes red.

Impulse:  
There's no time, no great plan, and too many enemies surrounding Rory; something deeper than the babble of thought or worry, or love rises above everything else inside him; if he had to put a word to it later, he'd call it certainty as he hits the gas.

Hush:  
Stephen gave Rory a stern look and held a finger to his lips; there were only a few inches of space between them.

Morals:  
It's the right thing to protect Rory, but only Stephen does it because he cares; he's outnumbered, trapped, by very powerful people who only view her as a weapon 

Engage: "To hire; to promise to marry; to occupy time with; to include in conversation, or meet in combat."  
No matter which meaning of the word is used, when it comes to Rory, Stephen's game, not that he would admit it, or put it so informally. 

Voice:  
He loves Rory's voice: it's like sweet, warm honey slowly dripping off a spoon, and he has to fight not to get lost in the sound of it.

Awkward:  
Sometimes they play off each other's awkwardness as a way to protect each other. 

Lower:  
"If you truly need me to clarify that," Stephen said sarcastically, "You've lowered both your standards as criminals, and my expectations for them!"

Plead:  
"Please." He doesn't feel he has the right to beg, or plead, or justify keeping secrets to Rory, but she's obviously so much more important than him, he strains his voice begging "Please..." _Don't forgive me, don't try to save me!_

____

Caring  
"What do you want to watch?" Stephen asked Rory softly as he made room on the couch for her.

Believe:  
"What do you believe in? Besides ghosts, I mean? Love? Justice? The future?" He asked. She shook her head, and changed his world with four words and a smile: "I believe in you."

Found:  
"I think there's something here that can help us!" One exclaimed, shoving a book under the other's nose.

Shield:  
I need to throw my body between them and Rory; I tense up to die, when she tackles me to the ground. 

Open:  
"The password is my name?" Everything else was forgotten as my head spun with the knowledge, the implications, before the door slammed open. 

Tactile:  
As soon as I touched the ghost, it was as if lightning hit me; I couldn't move as white-hot, searing pain shot down my arm and out my hand --- far away, someone was screaming, and I dimly thought it might be me before the world went white, then black.

Journey:  
It was a long and dangerous journey, full of detours and false trails, but as they slipped rings on each other's fingers, they knew the destination was worth it. 

Scowl: Surprisingly, Stephen doesn't scowl often, but the one he wears when Rory's smile slips off her face can only be described as "Black".

Hero:  
He doesn't think dying makes him one, and she agrees --- he was a hero _way _before then.__


End file.
